Despite CM’s warning,illegal mining goes unchecked

Earlier the reports of illegal mining were mostly received from villages and river beds but now the mafia has also started trageting the urban areas,in the absence of any check or control by the authorities concerned.

In one such case,a part of land along the site earmarked for sports stadium in Kharar was left with deep pits after massive digging and lifting of earth from the area.

A visit to the spot revealed that a JCB machine was digging the area and couple of tractor-trolleys were involved to ferry the dug up earth from the spot.

A person,with covered face,who was supervising the operation going on during broad daylight,immediately approached this reporter when the pictures of the operation were being clicked.

“ Who are you? Why are you taking these photos?,” asked the seemingly angry person. On being disclosed the identity and purpose,the person claimed to be a contractor,who was awarded a contract to build a road to the dumping ground,close to sports stadium site. “We are taking the earth for road construction,” he replied. But when asked whether he was given contract to dig up the area and lift the earth,he started making excuses and tried to make a cover-up by claiming that the digging was done to level the area. However,when he was asked that how these deep pits in any way level the area,he fell short of words.

Later,the person approached several persons to get the story stopped and even called the Newsline team but refused to reveal his identity despite repeated insistence.

Kharar Municipal Council Municipal Engineer Baldev Kumar Verma feigned ignorance over the matter and assured to look into the same. The area falls under the MC jurisdiction.

Since the budding sportspersons practice in the ground of sports stadium,the deep pits could prove fatal as three teenaged boys had drowned in similar death traps in Ranimajra village near Chandigarh recently.

Pertinently,the district police had registered a couple of cases against those indulging in illegal mining,which was rampant in different parts of this district falling under Chandigarh periphery,following CM’s directive.

Taking a serious note of the illegal practice,the CM had during his recent Mohali visit asked Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar to act tough against those involved in illegal mining.